Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. Ai ROSS.

OAR COUPLING.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ARTHUR Boss, OF PLYMOUTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,702, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed May 4, 1985.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES ARTHUR Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in automatic car-couplers having gravitating draw-bars, and in the devices for adjusting the gravitating draw-bar in position to couple. It is more particularly an improvement on Patent No. 310,726, granted to me January 13, 1885. 7

It consists in certain novelty of construction and arrangement of the various parts of the coupler and the levers connected With the gravitating draw-bar, whereby 1 am enabled to adjust said gravitating draw-bar in position to couple without going between the cars, all of which I will now proceed to point out and describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a car provided with my invention, showing position of the adj listing-levers, dotted lines showing the position of the same when in position to couple. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupler partly in section. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are details.

Referring to said drawings, A A are two u metal plates secured to the under side of the car-platforms.

a a are additional draw-heads, in which are secured the removable hooks a a by means of the pins a". If necessary the cars may be coupled by an ordinary link engaging with the hooks a a, or the links may be inserted in the draw-heads a a, and be held in place by the pins a a B is a cylinder formed in two parts, B B hinged together as shown, the upper half being secured to the plate A in any suitable manner.

b b are diametricallyopposite lockingnotches in the outer end of the cylinder for locking the gravitating draw-bar in position to couple, as hereinafter described.

0 is a gravitating draw-bar, which passes (No model.)

through the outer end of the cylinder B. G is a piston on the inner end of the draw-bar O. Said piston has its bearing in and works in the cylinder B, its outward motion being limited by the contracted end of the cylinder, which forms a shoulder, b. a are lugs which engage with the locking-notches b and hold the draw-bar in position to couple.

D is a spring resting at one end against a bearing, (15, its outer end engaging with the inner end of the piston, and holds the same normally against the outer end of the cylinder and causes the lugs on the piston to engage with the locking-notches when adjusted and hold the draw-bar in position to couple until the spring is compressed.

0" is a flat arrow-shaped head on the outer end of the drawbar.

E is a weighted arm or lever secured to the drawbar at right angles and in the same plane as the flat head a.

e is a weight on the end of the arm E.

The draw-bar may be provided with two arrow-shaped heads, 0* c, as shown in Fig. 5. Should one head become broken it can be re moved and the other head will be ready for use.

F is the receiving draw-head on the opposite oar, secured in any suitable manner to the plate A. If desired, it may be cast as a part of the said plate. The mouth-piece of said drawhead is made of a separate piece of metal, f, and is screwed into the main part of the draw-head.

f is the mouth. Said m outh is ofsuch awidth and height that the flat head of the draw-bar will readily pass in or out of the'same when said-head is in a horizontal position, but will engage with the shoulder f when in a vertical position and couple the cars. Should the mouth of the draw-head break it can be removed and a new mouth-piece be inserted without replacing the entire draw-head.

G is a piston working in the draw-head F.

g is a spring, resting at one end against the projection a, and engaging at its outer end with the inner end of the piston G, holding it normally against the mouth-piece f. WVhen the head of the drawbar enters the mouth f, it strikes against the end of the piston, which forms a spring-bumper and breaks the shock as the cars come together.

His a crank-lever fulcrumed to the plat form of a car, one end being connected by the chain h with the end of the arm E, the other end of said lever being pivoted to the vertical arm or rod I, mounted in a bearing, 4., in the platform. Said arm I is provided on its upper end with aflat head, I, and is surrounded by a spring, '5, bearing against the under side of the head I and the top of the platform.

When standing on the platform to adjust the draw-bar in position to couple, the operator places his foot on top of the. head of the arm I, and forcing it down elevates the end of the lever I-I, connected by the chain h with the arm E, and raises said arm, causing the lugs on the piston O to engage with the locking-notches in the cylinder and hold the drawbar in position to couple, as shown in dotted lines. 7 When the pressure is removed, the spring i causes the arm I to return to its normal position.

K is a crank hand-lever fulcrumed to the end of the car, and provided with a weight, 76, which holds the lower end of said lever down.

k is a chain connecting the lower end of the lever K with the end of the arm E.

L is a vertical lifting-rod pivoted to the le ver K and secured in a bearing Z, on top of the ear.

M is a foot-lever fulcrumed on top of the car and connected with the rod L.

To adjust the draw-bar from the side of the car, draw the hand-lever K down to position shown in dotted lines, thus raising the arm E until the draw-bar is in the desired position. When said lever is released, the weight is causes it to return to its normal position.

To adjust the draw-bar from the top of a car, press down on the foot-lever M, which will raise the rod L and thus raise the lever K. When my coupling is used on passengencars, the lever K and arm L may be dispensed with. On a freight-car all of the levers may be used. On a coal-car only the hand-lever K is used.

Having fully thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a cancoupling, the gravitating drawbar 0, having the arrow-headc", weighted arm E, piston O, and lugs c, the cylinder B, having locking-notches Z) and spring D, in combination with the draw-head F, having the mouth 1, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the gravitating drawbar 0, having the arrow-head 0 in combination with the draw-head F, having the removable mouth-piece f, provided with the mouthf, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupling, the gravitating drawbar 0, having the arrow-head 0 in combination with the draw-head F, having the mouth f and shoulder f and the bumper-piston G, provided with the spring 9, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a car-coupling, the cylinder B, formed in two parts, B B provided with the locking-notches b, the gravitating draw-bar O, having the arrow-head 0, weighted arm E, piston O, and lugs a, and spring D, in combination with the draw-head F, having the mouth f and shoulders f, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a ear-coupling, the gravitating drawbar 0, having the weighted arm E, in combination with the crank-lever H, connecting chain 7:, arm I, and spring '5, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and de scribed.

6. In a car-coupling, the gravitating drawbar 0, having the weighted arm E, in combination with the hand-lever K, provided with the weight and chain 70, connecting the lever and arm E, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a car-conpling, the gravitating drawbar C, having the weighted arm E, in combination with the lever K, provided with the weight 70, connecting-chain k, and lifting-rod L, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ARTHUR ROSS.

IVitnesses:

JOHN W. SooTT, THOMAS WILsoN. 

